The Day the Hero Died
by donalddeutsch
Summary: Completed for one-shot. I am sorry that I am late in getting this up, but it was supposed to be a Memorial Day dedication story in the memory of those who died on September 11th 2001. It is the story of the death of Harry Potter on that day. Please rea


**The day the hero died**

Chapter One: 9/11/01

A/N: I hope that this hasn't been done to much, but I have read one story that is dedicated to this date, and it brought me to tears. I don't remember the story, but it was a Harry/Hermione story told through the eyes of their daughter. In the story he was under the crash in the north tower, but went to help people out above him. He was talking to Hermione and their daughter the whole time, and they watched the tower fall while he was still in it. That's not the point of this story, but this is in dedication to the victims of September 11th, 2001. **_Never forget, always remember. I know I will always remember what happened that fateful day._**

A/N2: I know that this will seem out of timing with the Harry Potter Universe, so I am telling you this now, this is AU, in that I have put cannon back 10 years so as I can have Harry and Ginny's twins daughters as 1st years when September 11 happens. Please read and review, and if you don't like that idea, give me another reason. –Donald

Harry and Ron were working the morning of September 11th 2001, in the Auror department of the North Tower of the World Trade Center. It was still early in the morning, and they were getting ready to go out on a mission to catch some lingering Death Eaters. They had just called their wives to tell them they loved them, and were about to aparate out, when Harry told Ron, "go ahead to the meeting place, I need to do one last thing before I go. Don't worry, everything will be alright."

Ron gave him a weird look and said. "Ok Harry, if your sure. I will see you at the meeting in a half hour, ok?"

Harry just gave Ron a lop-sided grin, and nodded his head. He then watched Ron pop out of the office, and he went upstairs to gather the extra paperwork that he would need. As he looked out the window at the South Tower, he noticed a strange site, a jet liner heading directly for the tower he was in. He could tell that it was going to hit, so he tried to aparate away. What Harry didn't know, was that there was a Death Eater Assassin on the same floor as he was, and he hadn't seen the plane coming. He had set up a anti-aparition ward on the hole floor, and wasn't going to let any witch or wizard get out of there alive.

"Oh my god, what is happening? I have to get out of here before it hits." He started running down the escape stairs hoping to make it past the floor that the plane was going to hit before it did. The gods weren't with Harry this day tho, for he ran right into the assassin.

"Harry Potter, I am here to kill you. Now die," as he cast the Killing Curse on Harry, he was knocked off his feet, and unconscious by the force of the plane colliding with the Tower. Harry was also knocked unconscious, and was lying there for a good half an hour, before regaining consciousness and seeing what was going on.

He could feel the building shake, and begin to crumble, then he saw that the South Tower was hit also. "Hell, what is happening here? I got to get out of here before she goes." He was about to aparate out of there when he heard the scream, it was one that he knew he couldn't ignore. It was one of an injured person. Harry's hero complex kicked in, and he rushed upstairs looking for who was in trouble. Just as he found the person, and was about to aparate with them out of the building, that was when the Tower collapsed, and debris knocked him out, and he didn't feel the building collapse around him, thankfully killing him instantly.

_**RON'S POINT OF VIEW**_

He was sitting in the restaurant that he and Harry were supposed to meet up with their informant. He was sipping on coffee when the news came on about the Tower's being hit by Airplanes, and that they were collapsing. Ron looked worried, and hoped that Harry had gotten out of there alive, and was just delayed in getting here. When he didn't show up an hour after the Towers collapsed, he called Ginny to see if he was there. "Ginny, is Harry there, please tell me he came there once it happened." Ron couldn't tell, but he was holding his breath as he heard Ginny asking about what had happened to her husband. Ron didn't want to upset her, because she was 9 months pregnant, and about to give birth to twins. "Don't worry about it Gin, I will let you know what I find out." Ron tried to stay calm for his little sister, for he didn't want her to get upset about it.

"Ok Ron, I will keep an eye out for him. Please if you see him, tell him I love him." She let out a sob once she hung up the phone, because she had a bad feeling about this, she just felt like he was dead, but she was keeping her hopes up, if for no one else, her other two children that were at Hogwart's right now going to school.

As soon as Ron hung up the phone with his sister, he thought of Hermione instantly. "Uh oh, I better call Mione up, so she won't be worried about me being in the Tower." He called home, and listened to the phone ring, hoping that she would answer.

"H-h-hello, Weasley residence, Hermione Weasley speaking." Ron could tell that she had been crying, and he knew that she had thought the worse.

"Mione, it's me, Ron. Listen, I'm all right. Do me a favor, go and sit with Ginny, ok. But don't tell her anything about what I'm going to be telling you here. I think Harry was still in the Tower when it collapsed." Ron let out a sigh, and wished that he didn't have this stupid meeting to be at right now, so he could be with his wife and sister at this time.

"Ron, is it really you? Oh of course it is, what is this foolishness I'm thinking here. Thank god you are safe. Can't you come home, your family needs you here if what you say is true." Hermione was crying hard now, tears of sadness and of joy. Sadness for the loss of her best friend, and the loss that her Sister-in-law is suffering through now. Happiness for Ron being safe. "Please Ron, come home, I'm sure that whoever it is that your after can be taken care of either by someone else, or at another time.

Ron couldn't take Mione crying like this. He was about to agree to come home, when his emergency Port Key that he has in case of emergency went off, and he was sent home.

"Ron, Ron, Ron." Hermione was shouting at the phone now, for she was just having a dead line now. She wasn't sure what had happened, until he had wrapped his arms around her waist.

"It's ok Mione, I'm right here. My Port Key went off when it felt that you needed me, and sent me home." He kissed her, and then went to hang up the phone.

They heard a extremely loud scream coming from the flat next to theirs, and knew that it was Ginny. They aparated to her living room, and the sight that they saw, made them cry even more. Laying on the floor was inevitable proof that Harry Potter was indeed in the Tower when it collapsed. He was lying there dead on the floor, obviously having been crushed under the debris. "His Port Key must have gone off right after he ..." Ron just couldn't say the word. He held both his wife and his sister as they cried there eyes out. "Let's let the family know, and we better let your two other kids know Gin. I know that it is going to be hard, but I think that we all need family in this time. We have been away from England for far to long, and I think it's time that we go back. Mione, can you please go pack up our flat, and get it ready to move home. I will let the minister of magic here know that I am the only one that made it out of there alive, and I will be taking my brother's body back home for burial. Ginny, you start packing up the light stuff, and after I make a few fire calls, I will do the rest." He hugged the two girls again, and then went to the fireplace, as the two of them started on their tasks. He first informed the American Ministry of Magic that all was lost at the World Trade Center, and that of the people that were there that morning, he was the only one that got out alive, do to having just left for a meeting. He then let his bosses know that he was taking an extended leave of absence to bury his family in England, and probably won't be coming back. He put in his two week notice, then did the hardest part of this, he called his family. He stuck his head in the fire calling out, "the Burrow." When his head stopped spinning, he found himself with his head in his parents home fireplace looking around. "Hello is anyone up?"

What he found was that no one was up, so he sent out a sonic boom spell to get someone's attention. When Arthur Weasley came down to see what was happening, he saw his youngest son with his head in the fireplace and a sad expression on his face. "What is wrong Ron, has Ginny lost the twins? Is someone hurt badly? Is something wrong with Hermione?" By the time he had gotten done with his questions, Molly and the rest of the ones that were staying there at the time, had come down to see what was the commotion.

"Dad, have you gotten the Daily Prophet for today yet? Ok that's a stupid question, considering it's the middle of the night there. Just say this, there has been a terrible thing that has happened here in New York, and we're coming home. Please will you let Professor Dumbledore know to let Ginny's kids not, and I repeat NOT see the Daily Prophet for today, and to let them come home for a while, for there mother and father will be coming home." Ron put emphasis on the not for them to see it.

"Ok Ron, what is going on? I will let Dumbledore know to not have them look at it. Why are you moving home, and why are you crying? Ron, come here right away, and bring Ginny and Hermione, we will get your stuff later. Don't forget Harry also, but I'm sure you won't."

"Ok dad, we will be there as soon as we can, we're almost done with the packing, and we will make a Port Key to get there as fast as we can. Please don't tell anyone what is happening, you will find out in about an hour. Just remember that we love you, and that Ginny is really upset right now." Ron pulled his head out of the fireplace and helped the girls get the place packed. He shrunk everything up, and placed them into a few trunks. When he had everything packed, and ready to go, he made one of the trunks into a Port Key, and told the girls to touch it while touching the other trunks also. They Port Keyed right into the Burrow Living Room with the trunks and one other thing covered in a blanket that was hiding behind the trunks. "Mom dad, we're here."

The elder Weasley's along with all their children came out of the kitchen and hugged Ginny who was almost unconsolable at this time. "Oh Ginny, what is so wrong? What happened that has you like this? Where is Harry?" When Ginny heard Harry's name, she went into wails of tears again, and they whole family knew that something had happened to him from that.

Turning to Ron, Arthur asked. "Where is he Ron, what happened?"

Ron stepped aside from the trunks, and everyone could see the body covered by a blanket sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace. "Earlier this morning, or it would be this morning here, two Airplanes flew into the Twin Towers where Harry and I work, and they collapsed. I had already left for a meeting that we had scheduled, and Harry said that he had something to do, probably paperwork that we had forgotten, and told me to go and wait for him. When I got to the meeting place, I was waiting for Harry and our contact, but then I had heard that the Towers had collapsed. I was wondering why Harry didn't aparate out of there like I did, but I guess we will never know this. When I got home, I was talking to Mione, and that's when we heard Ginny scream. Well we aparated to her apartment, and found Harry like that. I guess his Port Key got him home, but not before being crushed by the collapsing towers. Well I immediately made the decision that we were going to move back home, I can always get a job here as an Auror, can't I minister? That's when I let my boss know what had happened and to resign, then let you all know that we were coming. By the way, did you get in contact with Albus yet?" He asked this just as the Daily Prophet Owl flew in depositing it in front of Mr. Weasley.

"I hadn't been able to get hold of him yet Ron. Oh my god, looks like we might want to get there to help your children out Ginny, because if it has been delivered here, then it is about to be delivered there."

_**HOGWART'S SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY**_

_**GREAT HALL, BREAKFAST**_

"Oh look, there's the owl with the Daily Prophet. I wonder what kind of news there is in it today." Lily and Megan Potter were excited always to get the Daily Prophet for it brought news from home sometimes. Their father was always going and capturing Death Eaters and the such and was in the news almost everyday. They were the twin daughters of Harry and Ginny Potter, and they were in their 1st year at Hogwart's. They were in Gryffindor, just like their parents. They heard a loud, "ACCIO Lily and Megan Potter's Daily Prophet" come from the head table, and they watched as it flew out of their hands and into the Headmasters hand. They could hear whispers of why would he do this to them, for everyone knew that it was one of the twins only lifelines of home.

They both got up and walked up to the Head Table with fire in their eyes. "Why did you do that Headmaster? I mean we pay good money for the subscription, and we ought to be able to read it."

Albus Dumbledore looked down at the twins with sorrow in his blue eyes. "I'm sorry Lily and Megan, but you need to go wait for me in my office, please. The password is lemon drops. Go now, and I will be there shortly." The twins shaked their heads wondering what was going on, but they always knew not to argue with the headmaster when he says to do something.

They made their way out of the Great Hall to silence, and they didn't know what was going on. When they got to the Gargoyle guarding the entrance to the Headmasters office, they gave the Password, and walked up to the office and sat down in the comfortable chairs that were in front of the desk. Fawkes, the headmasters Phoenix flew over to them and started to sing his soothing Phoenix song to them, instantly calming them down. 10 minutes later, Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall walked into the office with a sad look on their faces. "Lily, Megan, I'm afraid that we have some bad news. One, you will be leaving for your grandparents house within the hour to meet up with your mother. Two, please read this, and you will find out why." He handed them their copy of the Daily Prophet and the front page brought tears to their eyes, and wails and sobs from the girls as they read.

_**DEATH OF A HERO**_

_**RITA SKEETER REPORTING**_

We at the Daily Prophet are sad to announce that Harry Potter, the Boy-who-lived, and Auror for the American Ministry of Magic, was killed this morning. Not from the death eaters that are still out there that he and his Auror Partner Ron Weasley always were after, but by falling debris that crushed him when the World Trade Centers in New York City collapsed after being hit by two Airplanes.

While his family is in mourning right now, and couldn't be contacted for comment, we were able to talk to some of his school friends, and they were all sad at hearing about what happened.

Neville Longbottom: "we will miss Harry, and send our condolences to both Ginny his wife, and his children and family. We all loved him, and grieve over his loss." Mr. Longbottom broke down into tears after that statement and was comforted by his wife Luna Lovegood-Longbottom, who had this to say.

"He was a friend to all of us, and we will miss him a lot. I send my sympathy's to Ginny especially, for she was a school time friend of mine."

There has been a fund set up for his wife and children to help them out through schooling or whatever they may need. We know that Mr. Potter didn't need money, and would probably say to send it to your favorite charity or something, but we feel that it should go to help with his widow and children. You can send any donations to Gringotts in care of the Harry Potter children's and family fund in care of his personal financial advisor, Griphook.

_For more information about the crash, go to page four. For more pictures of the crash go to page two._

The girls closed the paper slowly with tears in their eyes, and went to the two professors as if to hug them for comfort. The headmaster and the head of their house took them into their arms and comforted them as best as they could. They also felt the loss, but knew that these two girls have just lost their father, and it hurt them bad.

"Ok you two, now go up to your dorms, and pack enough for a week away. You are dismissed from your classes for the next two weeks, and will be taking a Port Key to the Burrow once you get back." He hugged them again, and they walked out of the office with tears in their eyes.

"What about Charley, Bob, Anne and Merideth, our cousins who are also here. Are they going to be able to come with us also? I think that the whole family should be together for this." Lily asked this, knowing that their cousins are more than likely down in the Great Hall reading this, and wondering if they were all right. "Can you go get them please Fawkes?" She asked the Phoenix pleadingly, not really caring about going through the headmaster for this or not, they needed their family right now.

At the nod of the headmasters head, Fawkes disappeared in a flash of fire, and then came back with the other four Weasley's, who had tears in their eyes also. They came and hugged Lily and Megan into their arms, and the whole family collapsed onto one of the couches crying and consoling each other. The whole clan was close, and they had just lost one of their own in a horrible way.

"I don't think we will be able to get them to go get their stuff Albus, why don't we get a couple of the House Elves to go pack up their trunks for them and bring them here?" Minerva asked this with motherly concern. She was like a mother to the students of her house, and this had hurt her more than it was showing on her face.

"That is a good idea." The headmaster clapped his hands and two house elves appeared and asked.

"How can we help you Headmaster sir?"

"Yes, will you two go and pack the Potter and Weasley children's trunks and bring them here please? They will be leaving for a week, and will need their stuff." Dumbledore asked the two house elves to do this, and they nodded. They disappeared with a pop, and were gone for about 20 minutes before coming back with 6 trunks with them.

"Ok you six, I'm going to make you a Port-key, and it will be set to leave in five minutes. Please come gather by your trunks, so I can shrink them for travel. That's it, now 'reducto'," the trunks shrunk, and they placed them into their pockets, and came and stood around the hat that the headmaster had made into a port key for them to use. They had all touched it, and felt the pull behind their belly button letting them know that they were traveling. When they landed, they found that they were in the living room of the Burrow with the rest of the Weasley family having their wands drawn on the arriving visitors, for they hadn't gotten hold of the headmaster yet, and weren't expecting the children to come.

As soon as the six of them came in, they saw the body of Harry Potter, and they all lost it. They ran to their respective parents and started sobbing uncontrollably. Lily and Megan were in the arms of Ginny when they felt her flinch. "Are you ok mom, what's wrong?" They looked at the pained expression on her face, and new exactly what was wrong. "Grandma, mum's gone into labor with the twins." They were yelling this as they helped her to the couch. "Can someone please help her?"

Ginny laid down on the couch, as Molly called the mid-wife in and after 4 hours of labor, she delivered 2 healthy baby boys. They named one Harry James Potter Jr., after his father, and named the other Sirius Mark Potter after his Godfather. Molly took them up to the nursery and laid them down along with putting Ginny into her old room to sleep. Then she went downstairs to check on everyone else, including her grandchildren.

Harry James Potter was buried two days later with full honors, and given the order of Merlin first class posthumonously. Ginny and her kids were set for life, and they gave a lot of it away for charity. They didn't have a want for anything, and even tho they got over their grief, they never forgot their father and husband. They were their at the Trial of both Sadam Hussein, and after he was finally caught, Osama Bin Laden. They were happy to hear that they got the Death Penalty, and thought that it was finally a closure, not only for them, but for all the other families that lost a loved one on that fateful September morning.

Ginny found love again ten years later, when she married a recently widowed Colin Creevey. He had loved Ginny ever since they were in school together, but never stood in the way of her and Harry. He had married a lady that he had met when he was going through training for the ministry, and she had just died of Cancer the last month. They led a happy life and her kids loved him. They never forgot their father, and Colin never tried to take Harry's place in their hearts.

THE END:

A/N3: This story is in dedication to those who lost their lives on September 11th 2001 in both the World Trade Center Collapsing, The Attack on the Pentagon, and the Crash of the flight over Pennsylvania. I know that this isn't the anniversary of the attacks, and that the outcome that I have put for both Sadam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden haven't happened yet, but for the first, I felt that it is an appropriate story for Memorial Day, and second, that is my opinion on what should happen to them. As always about the date, Never Forget, Always Remember. Love and Peace you all. —Donald


End file.
